Kallen Kouzuki (Megiddo)
Kallen Kouzuki is a knightmare pilot affiliated to the Order of the Black Knights, as well as well as the personal bodyguard of Zero and commander of the elite 0 Knightmare Squadron "Rei" (Zero Squadron). She is one of the key protagonists of Code Geass Megiddo. Appearance Eight years older than she was in the television series, Kallen is taller and has a slightly better build, but beyond that still has a similar appearance to her youth. As opposed to her original "spiked" hair style that she wore in canon, her hair is now "permanently" in its straight, combed down style. Aside from that she regularly wears a Black Knights uniform and often carries her pistol, an antique Luger, and her tanto sword at her side. Biography Early Life Kallen was born in March 29, 2000 in Tokyo, Japan, to James Stadtfeld, 23rd Baron of Charlotte and a growing star in his family's banking enterprise, and Haruka Kouzuki, a Japanese native who was employed into Stadtfeld's household in Japan. Originally her father had come to Japan in the hopes of expanding his family's banking enterprise into Asia, and though he was set to marry another woman early on as per Britannian noble tradition, James fell in love with Haruka and began a relationship with her, much to his family's ire. Kallen, and her elder brother Naoto, who was born seven years before, were natural products of that relationship. Despite the love that existed between them however, James, at both his family's and Haruka's great behest, would be forced to send her and their children away in order to keep the Stadtfeld name from falling into scandal back in the Britannian homeland, as well as follow on his arranged marriage to Cynthia Hollister, 18th Baroness of Charleston. In turn, Haruka would take her children and move to Kyoto, settling in one of the poorer sections of Kita. This move, alongside the rampant discrimination and violence both Kallen and Naoto faced by their fellow residents over their Britannian roots, would shape both siblings' into hardened, combative fighters, which they would be renowned as later in life. It was also here that Naoto would first meet and befriend Kaname Ohgi, a fellow outcast and later schoolmate. Naturally, Kallen's life would change drastically at the advent of the Second Pacific War and Japan's transition into Area 11 afterward. Not long after the Britannians' final victory, Naoto and Ohgi formed a small anti-Britannian resistance group and began making hit-and-run attacks on the occupational forces. Though the group was marginally successful for a time, with one of its greater accomplishments being the hijacking of two RPI-11 Glasgow knightmare frames from an Army base in Tokyo Settlement, it would not be long before the Britannians cornered them and moved to wipe them out. Naoto would become one of the many casualties in this raid, having taken out one of the Glasgows to fend off the Britannians while Ohgi led the rest toward escaping; as a result Ohgi would take full command of the group. Naoto's death would prove devastating to both Kallen and her family. Haruka would end up falling to the influence of the narcotic Refrain, which she would never truly recover from, while James would become grief stricken and secretly blame himself for his son's demise. In an attempt to make amends for this, as well as to ensure the safety of his former lover and his daughter, James would bring both of them back into his household, all the while going directly against the wishes of his family in doing so. In turn, Kallen herself would become far more rebellious as well as adapt the same anti-Britannian sentiments as Naoto, which would compel her to join the resistance as the pilot of the sole remaining Glasgow. It would be from this development that Kallen would develop her soon to be famous piloting skills. Kallen also came to believe that her father only took her and her mother in out of pity and developed an intense dislike. It was only until shortly before the Special Administrative Zone Massacre that she finally learned that she had misjudged him, when he confessed his true reasons and acknowledged that he hadn't been the best father. For the time that followed, Kallen would prove to be an invaluable member of the resistance, being one of the few non-Japan Liberation Front knightmare pilots that were capable of fighting Britannian contemporaries; even when the Britannians began fielding the superior [[Sutherland (Megiddo)|RPI-13 Sutherland]] in Area 11, Kallen was not hindered with her now customized red Glasgow. Despite her growing skills and her group's successes however, Kallen was far more cynical toward her cause than many would have believed; deep down she knew that the liberation of Japan was just a pipe dream, and that in reality she was fighting more for her brother's memory than to free the same country that had discriminated against her not too long ago. As time went on this viewpoint would develop into a near death wish, in which Kallen began to put less emphasis on her own survival while coming to believe that she was only fighting the same losing battle that her brother had, that she would only live to die just like he did. Only Ohgi noticed this development, and as a result attempted multiple times to step up his relationship with the rebellious teenager turned resistance ace as well as help her in setting up a life for herself (among one of his attempts was getting Kallen enrolled in Ashford Academy), but at the same time he knew Kallen had only listened to Naoto, and he was not Naoto. However, all was not lost, as young Kallen's life would soon reach a turning point, specifically after she would take part in the hijacking of a mysterious chemical weapon from the Britannians... Kallen of the Rebellion After the Devastation Following the confrontation on Kamine Island, Kallen regrouped with the Black knights who survived the Devastation. Later on, when C.C. revealed the truth about Zero's identity, his motivations, and the fact that he was the one behind Princess Euphemia's massacre (albeit accidentally), Kallen was the only one who did not take a side in the debate between the core Black Knight members, largely out of guilt for abandoning Zero to Suzaku on Kamine Island. She would also make a contract with C.C. at some point, gaining the Geass of Absolute Awareness, as well reform Zero Squadron, in which she filled the vacant spots with the best knightmare pilots and soldiers available, among which were former Britannian pilots Alfred G. Darlton, Charmelle Finlay, Liliana Vergamon and Marika Soresi. Alongside this, she also honed her own skills as a commander and leader, losing the recklessness that characterized her youth. Reclaiming Zero War Renewed Personality and Traits Impulsive, tempermental, strong-willed, forceful; these four words are what best summarize Kallen's true personality and spirit. While at times she may portray herself as a weak and frail woman of noble background, her true persona is that of a fighter and a warrior, always ready to ride into battle and smite her enemies. As such, Kallen was well known (by those who knew her true personality) for her independent and fiery nature, as well as her reckless and headstrong approach to fighting her enemies head on. Before becoming a Black Knight, Kallen exhibited a typical rebelliousness and lack of direction for her youth, in which though she was poised to fight against Britannia, she did so mainly out of memory of her deceased elder brother, Naoto Kouzuki, as opposed to wanting to liberate her home country. This would all change however when she met Zero, whose leadership and grand vision gave Kallen, as well as the other resistance members, a cause to fight for that coincided with her personal beliefs. Because of this, she became one of the most determined and driven Black Knights upon the organization's forming, alongside the group's initial leader Kaname Ohgi. On another note, despite being a member of the Britannian aristocracy through her father's family, Kallen herself feels nothing but disdain for nobility. However, she is willing to use her ties when need be. Eight years later, Kallen has grown into a beautiful and experienced woman of war, as well as one of the few true veteran officers of the Black Knights. While she still retains the fiery personality of her youth, her time as a knightmare squadron commander has given her a more composed and professional attitude more befitting of the militaristic build up of the Black Knights as compared to its militia-like composition in the beginning. Despite her maturity, she is still one of the most duty-driven members of the Black Knights, still taking great pride in her role in the organization. Due to the Devastation and the aftermath of it, however, she has become far more ruthless in battle than she had been during the Insurrection; whereas the younger Kallen would feel some remorse at having to kill enemies, Britannian or otherwise, this one thinks little if anything of taking a life. This has made more than a few of those close to her uncomfortable, but at the same time they still know her to retain humanity in spite of the dark times. She also values results and competence more than personal beliefs, hence why she is willing to tolerate people like Lilianna Vergammon and Marika Soresi (neither of whom she trusts). Powers and Abilities Geass Kallen's Geass is known as the "Power of Absolute Awareness". When active, Kallen is granted an extrasensory perception of her surroundings, as well as the "insides" of all objects or living creatures within; in other words, Kallen can not only "see" everything around her, thus disallowing her opponents to perform sneak attacks on her, but she can also predict the movements and actions of others by "seeing" the internal movements of their bones, muscles and nervous systems. As her Geass was granted to her by C.C., its activation is visually represented by the manifestation of a Geass sigil in her left eye. Its range is determined at activation, but it can reach for several kilometers at a time. Physical obstacles or electronic equipment do not hinder its effectiveness, nor does it require eye contact. Strangely despite long-term possession of the ability (several years), Kallen's Geass remains under her control for the time being, unlike Lelouch. So far, the Geass has displayed one specific weakness: as Kallen continues to use it, she will frequently go through episodes in which her basic senses extend considerably, causing her to sense things in an incredibly slow and delayed manner for periods of time. Much worse is that while her senses have enhanced, her body remains the same physically; as such, she is barely able to move or comprehend her surroundings. According to C.C., this is a product of the Geass' growing in power before going Runaway, and has so warned Kallen not to overextend her Geass. Besides that, the Geass is naturally limited against Code Bearers; while Kallen can see their outside layers, such as clothing and skin, she is unable to see the inner workings of a Code Bearer and thus is unable to predict their actions. As well, there are moments in which Kallen's Geass may mysteriously "zero in" on a specific point of interest without the will of its user, causing some to wonder whether it, and all Geass by extension, has a will of its own. Intellect While not in the same league as Lelouch, Kallen is remarkably intelligent and cunning both in and out of battle. When she attended Ashford Academy, her grades were regularly in the top of her class despite frequent absences, and she has often displayed great resourcefulness in times of confrontation. As the commander of Zero Squadron, she is a top-notch tactician that can make the best of her unit's capabilities, as well as exploit her pilots' otherwise defective personalities to the Black Knights' gain. Because of this and many other factors, her pilots regard her as the brains behind Zero Squadron and follow her commands without hesitation while believing that, no matter how outrageous her plan may sound, she will always pull through for them in the end. Aside from those facts, she is noteworthy for possessing a unique perception of things even without her Geass, which allows her to understand Lelouch's tactics and long-term strategies more easily than others and even see through his "play acts" to some degree (as well as C.C.'s aloofness). Physical Of all of her talents, Kallen is best skilled in a knightmare frame. Even before her identity became well known, she was and is acknowledged as the best pilot of the Black Knights by enemies and allies alike, with a skill level that matches that of most Knights of the Round. Her codename, "Q-1," references, in algebraic chess notation, the Queen piece, the most powerful piece in chess, as well as the "closest piece to the King" as Lelouch later tells her. With the radiation arm of her Guren, Kallen can take down almost any Knightmare Frame in a single attack should they allow her to make physical contact, and later models also have numerous secondary attack modes for mid- and long-range combat. Her knightmare frame is also incredibly fast, allowing her to fight on the same level as some of the most advanced knightmares in the series. Outside of a Knightmare, Kallen is a master level martial artist that has studied various fighting styles over her lifetime, including Karate, Jujutsu, Tae Kwan Do, Boxing, and Chinese Kempo. As well, she is quite skilled with just about any kind of weapon, from swords and knives to pistols, machine guns, and rocket launchers. Her favorite weapons are her Luger pistol and her tanto short sword. The former was a Stadtfeld family heirloom passed to Kallen just before the Devastation while the latter was given to her by C.C. as a birthday present and has supposedly been previously owned by Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga. Kallen's fighting style with these is much similar to how she fights in the Guren, wielding the Luger in her right hand and the tanto (reverse gripped) in her left hand. Relationships Lelouch vi Britannia Perhaps Kallen's most noteworthy relationship is the one she shares with Lelouch/Zero. Like her other teammates, she was at first quite distrustful of the masked man, but after seeing his success against the Britannians as well as hearing of his grand vision for a world without strife, Kallen soon became his most loyal follower. Examples of loyalty are shown in her continuous acts to protect Zero from harm, even if it means putting herself at risk, as well as keep his true identity secret even from her fellow Black Knights and herself. In recognition of her loyalty, Lelouch appoints her as his bodyguard and commander of his personal unit, Zero Squadron. However, in the aftermath of the Black Rebellion in which Kallen learns the truth behind Zero and his intentions, the young ace becomes disheartened long enough to abandon her leader to his mortal enemy, Suzaku Kururugi. Eight years later, Kallen's relationship with the exiled Britannian prince has only become more complex after his reawakening. While she no longer idolizes him like she used to, she at the same time does not condemn nor hate him for his past actions. In fact, she has only come to care for Lelouch more than she had before, both as the leader that she used to worship and as a human being with similar lifetime experiences to her own; some have even come to believe that she cares for Lelouch far more deeply than she lets on to others. Even so, what she seemingly fears the most is the idea that her loyalty, concern and overall relationship with him are products of his Geass as opposed to her own heart, and not even her own Geass is able to provide an answer to that fear. When Lelouch was believed to be dead for a moment of time, Kallen went into a frenzy, killing Pluton soldiers and attempting to kill the immortal V.V. Only after their deaths did she realize without Lelouch, she lost her reason to fight, and in fact begged for death itself. When he was recovering back at the castle which he lives in, she had refused to sleep or eat for two days straight and remained in the room to guard him, despite the protest of her friends. When she could no longer stay awake, Kallen decided stripped down and slept next to him, both for solace and to remain close to him. When he woke up the next day, he was unsure of how to react to her advance, such that Kallen, for a moment, feared that the distress he caused her meant nothing to him. But when Lelouch apologized for hurting her feelings and promised that he wouldn't go into danger without her again, relief filled Kallen. Afterward, the two had what C.C. referred to as 'comfort sex', which was sought after for a brief respite from the struggles that they had faced. Since the escape from Pluton, Kallen and Lelouch have become a source of comfort and respite for each other. They have since shared a bed on the night of the Devastation anniversary and a little over two weeks later. Kallen feels truly at peace while resting beside Lelouch, feeling the nightmares of the world leave her when she is in his presence. Also, she has since become overprotective of him since his 'death' at Pluton, such as suggesting that he stay away from the field of battle and let her go into the field, even though he is now a battle-hardened warrior and not the weakling he once was. She resorts to using both logic, such as the enemy is expecting Zero to come as part of their plan, and emotion, such as kissing him suddenly and declaring, as his Knight of Zero, it is her job and duty to protect him from harm. Even after that big step in their relationship, Kallen still realizes that she still has a long way to go with, and for, Lelouch... C.C. Suzaku Kururugi Kaname Ohgi Rai Sumeragi Alfred G. Darlton While Alfred is sarcastic at times, Kallen gets along well enough with the former Glaston Knight. During the infiltration of Pendragon, Alfred acted as Kallen's escort to the party and even exchanged playful banter with her at the time. He is also her direct wingman as well as Zero Squadron's Executive Officer, showing a high degree of trust. Charmelle Finlay Unlike most of the squadron, Charmelle has a direct friendship with Kallen. Both of them come from Britannian nobility, and both are resentful of their heritage, with Kallen's father having abandoned her family for a long time while Charmelle was a bastard child whose father may or may not have murdered her mother to preserve his reputation. Like Alfred, Kallen holds a high degree of trust with Charmelle, such that she is one of the few people outside the core members of the Black Knights to know of her abandonment of Zero at Kamine Island. Benio Akagi Marika Soresi Despite their past history (Kallen killed her brother Kewell in single combat at Narita) Marika was allowed to join Zero Squadron. However, Kallen does not fully trust Marika, and it is unclear whether or not Marika still holds a grudge over Kewell's death. Kyoshiro Tohdoh Nagisa Chiba Kotetsu Urabe Soundtrack Kallen's image song is'' ''Erza's Theme from the anime series ''Fairy Tail, ''composed by Yasuharu Takanashi. Category:Canon Characters